Why are there so few batches to choose from
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Thank you for your response! When you and genthusiast say "tree builders", do you mean working on our own trees or doing something else like adding unconnected people to The Tree? Hawaii had an Islands of The Pacific exhibit of thousands of records that are now being added as unconnected people to FamilySearch. Is that what y'all mean?
Many thanks for your help on this!
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Many thanks for the clarification! 🤙👌👏
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There haven't been any for some time
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That's a great suggestion if you were able to work on your own family tree, but I have gone back as far as I can on my family tree on both my maternal & paternal sides and can't go back any further because I don't read or write either language and whatever else is available only in Utah and I live in New Jersey. The powers that be will not re-open the local family centers so I can't go there for assistance. I'm not complaining; just stating the facts.
Therefore, I feel I can help others by indexing and reviewing projects but there are fewer and fewer projects available for other areas. For some reason, we seem to get large numbers for one area and if you can't do that area, then you struggle to find projects. I have been fortunate enough to find projects, but many others who are trying to learn how to correctly index cannot.
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I've been indexing a couple years and have been disappointed of late that there weren't more projects listed. I've gotten so used to choosing a new batch quickly that I realized I wasn't clicking on 'advanced' which gave me a whole lot more projects to choose from. The first one I chose was cemetery records from S Africa. they were all typed records and only the name fields differed from one entry to another. A great beginner project! I am already letting beginner indexers in my ward and my family group know what I have learned. Trying to get the word out most easily is a problem. I think Family Search could improve the indexing Home page and the ward home pages to make it more likely indexers will see and read communiations posted there. A Banner notification that a new 'announcement' is on the ward page would be helpful and a tutorial video link with the notification to explain in 60 seconds about the neat features of both the home pages and ward (or family or stake) page would be helpful. The video link could point out the graph of individual progress, how to set a goal and why, the importance of scrolling down and clicking on their ward page and once there noting the graphs, various views of the graph, the current announcement, the adopted projects and more.
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...if you were able to work on your own family tree...
Here is one time when I will say - Family Tree is an open-edit, one-world family tree - so anywhere you work in the Tree (it's yours ...so do your best). If you are stuck on your family lines - great - help connect records to people somewhere ... anywhere you like (a great chance to think of others).
...whatever else is available only in Utah and I live in New Jersey.
I'm guessing due to vague hints here and there - that FamilySearch probably has some Projects reserved for only their volunteer staff - but other than that I don't think they restrict any Project from anyone.
Here's to hoping you find some Projects soon. 👍️
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@genthusiast I was in a meeting very recently and can comfortably state that nobody at FamilySearch is intentionally reserving projects only for volunteer staff except where there is considerable sensitivity about the records. But even that is quite limited. It's simply that most of the relatively easy records that have become index-ready have already been done, and there are (currently) very few "easy" batches coming through. The future of indexing also includes computerized first passes on a more and more frequent basis, with humans doing the 2nd pass to ensure accuracy.
But don't give up hope - we were told that the problem being discussed here about small numbers of beginning or intermediate English batches is well known to those at upper levels of FamilySearch, and it's being worked on with the intent of making more records available of the type being sought here.
I also know for a fact that some significant efforts are bearing fruit with respect to finding new records that can be indexed. Most of the easy sources like courthouses, government records, etc., have been largely found in the U.S. and English speaking Europe/UK, but there are many other sources in less populated areas within the U.S. that are being found, with negotiations ongoing to acquire access to them. Be of good cheer and have hope. 😁
--Chris
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There's actually only one to choose from, and that one was too confusing to me. The number of choices has been very bleak lately. Is this going to change?
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It depends on who FS has contracts with, scanning and digitizing those records. These take time. Keep checking back to see if there is anything new.
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well of course indeed it depends on who FS contracts with and contract details, but come on . . . we are talking about FamilySearch here - who works with Thousands of organizations around the world.
I totally agree - - - WHY are there so few indexing batches to choose from. Makes no sense . . . .
I do wonder, myself, if it has anything to do with the 1950 census project.
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What on earth has happened to projects pertaining to the UK ? There have been none whatsoever for many months. I think that it is only respectful for us to be given an explanation as to the reason for this lack of projects. Every day I ask myself why ? why not ? There has to be an answer but there is nothing ! Can anyone answer this question please ?
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Are they ever going to put something up to index besides Ireland???? I would love to index something from North Carolina.
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We'd all love to index something else but as soon as one batch from Ireland is done, they put up another.
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there seems to be only one selection to choose from to do indexing?
Are there going to be more soon? we love to index but you don't have any work for us to do?
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Maybe if I ask this complain every day someone will listen to me??? SOMETHING BESIDES IRELAND TO INDEX!!!!!
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98% of all to choose from right now are Irish Records. They are all advance status so beginners and intermediate indexers' are OUT OF LUCK. Is this due to an agreement with Ireland to get their records indexed????
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Agree with you all about the lack of choice. It would help if they would at least give us better directions on how to index and review these projects. I think it would help if they could give us a video on some of them. Things are often clearer if you actually see it done than when you get written instructions. I remember a group leader from Switzerland used to do videos on her own to help her group complete batches and it made things much clearer. It is hard enough to decipher some of the handwriting, but some of the instructions are also confusing which makes it even more difficult. Just a suggestion on how it might be possible to get more of these projects completed so we can move on to others.
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There are a lot of advanced batches to do, but only about three intermediate batches to do. It's a shame that the NY Mortgator and Morgatee batches were taken off when they weren't all done.
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I have the same concern. Have we come that far that there aren’t an intermediate batches left to do?
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It depends on who FS has contracts with and what constitutes each level of difficulty. Sometimes a batch will say one level, but as you index the project, you may say "oh, this is way too easy/hard for me." The Pennsylvania Naturalization project is wonderful, as is the Boston Tax Records (waiting on Part Z to drop). There's nothing wrong with dipping a toe in projects that you're not familiar with. If they prove too difficult, there is no shame in throwing it back--I had to do that with the Ireland projects--or maybe you'll find a project that is in your zone.
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I'm wondering the same thing. Hopefully this will change.
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@GeeAntonetteMoody1 said: Why are there so few beginning and intermediate batches to index?
The question was lost in a merge between several discussions. Sorry about that. 😔
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You used to have multiple opportunities for intermediate indexers to choose from. Now you have none. I don't know why when there should be multitudes of options to choose from. Please correct this mistake. You shouldn't just concentrate on a certain country but should concentrate on more. This is getting very frustrating for me, when all of the options are for advanced indexers!!!
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Please know that your concerns about the number and level of indexing projects available have been heard and reported. When I hear anything back, I will definitely let you know.
In the mean time, please do not start new discussions asking about the number or difficulty of indexing projects. The Code of Conduct warns against "Thread bumping (posting with the purpose of bringing the thread to the top), posting the same comments in multiple discussions, or repetitive comments." Thanks for your patience and cooperation.
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I keep posting because I never get an answer.
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I think the directions for the Irish Records do have good instructions. I do a lot of advanced batches but my problem is they are often so hard to read. There used to be an option to clarify or sharpen an image. The new program does not have this you can only lighten, darken, or invert.
It is hard to believe that with all of the films that FamilySearch has in its vault that all of the English films have been indexed. Who knows maybe we just have been too good at it.
I really hate to see them using computers to read records when there are so many indexers that would like to do the indexing. I was so excited to index the 1950 U. S. Census because I remember how much fun we had doing the 1940 and the 1930 Census. I was sad to find out they relied mostly on computers. I tried verifying names done by the computer because the mistakes were so obvious, like reading ditto marks or addresses as people. Is the need to get the newest Census out at breakneck speed what is generated the use of computer technology.
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Thanks for your response. That is the best answer I have gotten - that computers are doing the indexing. I just keep wondering why for a year it has been nothing but Ireland.
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If you want something else to do, you can always check out The Smithsonian's Transcription Center, the National Archives Citizen Archivist or Billion Graves.
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I have been transcribing for Family Search for about 12 years now and have never had any issues with the amout of batches to work on. However, I feel like maybe the person who was in charge of downloading them online for us was replaced by someone new. This has become a HUGE frustration for the people who have volunteered their time to transcribe them. They put 2 or 3 new ones out there and WHAM....they are gone in to time!!! I am not referring to the advanced batches at all! We are wanting MORE BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE batches. What in the world is going on with this issue?????
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